Barangay Ginebra is bracing for a hectic Christmas season as the Kings are set to enter a tough stretch where they will be playing five games in 13 days beginning on Friday, Dec.13, when they take on the Phoenix Fuel Masters at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Ginebra, who was off to a good start to the conference with a 109-100 over the NLEX Road Warriors just last Wednesday, battles the still winless Fuel Masters at 7:30 p.m.

Setting that table for that clash is the match between slumping teams San Miguel and Terrafirma at 5 p.m. 

After the game on Friday, the Kings are set to see action on Sunday against Eastern, and on Wednesday against Terrafirma before going in an out-of-town game in Batangas City versus Converge next Saturday.

The stretch ends with the Christmas Day game against Magnolia.

“We got a heck of a schedule. It’s like a championship series except that it's harder because you have to play and plan for different teams every night,” said Cone.

“Usually in the series you get the same teams, and your game plan is similar, making a few tweaks here and there and we have to prepare for a new team every time and that makes it difficult,” he added.

While Ginebra was coming off a good rest as it was the last team to make its debut in the mid-season conference, Cone is wary of the wear-and-tear to his players, particularly his veterans in Justin Brownlee and Japeth Aguilar.

“Just the wear and tear to play every other night and one of those games is out of town and one of those games is Christmas Day,” said the veteran mentor.

“We’ll try to find a pocket where we can rest Justin than he normally does, trying to get that on Japeth as well and that’s gonna put more pressure on Stephen and Troy as they try to play a bit heavier minutes to make up for some time that given to Japeth and Justin (to rest),” he added.

While the Fuel Masters have yet to register a victory in this conference, they have been very competitive in their past few games and still pose a huge threat to the Kings.

Hulking import Donovan Smith alongside Tyler Tio will be tasked to lead the charge to the team that is still searching for a breakthrough after dropping its first three games.

Meanwhile in the first game, it will be a reunion of sorts albeit donning different jerseys for the San Miguel and Terrafirma players that swapped places during the offseason.

Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig will be facing up against their former team Terrafirma for the as the Beermen try to arrest a two-game slide.

Vic Manuel, a former Beerman who has been catching a second wind to his career, is expected to lead the Dyip to try and get its first  win in the conference after losing their first four games.